JACK KEMP SPEECH TUESDAY, JULY 15, 1980 LADIES AND GENTLEMEN: THERE'S A TIDAL WAVE COMING--A POLITICAL TIDAL WAVE AS POWERFUL AS THE ONE WHICH HIT IN 1932, WHEN AN ERA OF REPUBLICAN DOMINANCE GAVE WAY TO THE NEW DEAL. IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN, AND HAPPEN SOON, AND WE'LL FIND MILLIONS OF AMERICANS OF EVERY RACIAL, CULTURAL AND ECONOMIC BACKGROUND SURPRISING THEMSELVES BY VOTING REPUBLICAN. NOT BECAUSE THEY HAVE GROWN TIRED OF THE DEMOCRATS--ALTHOUGH THEY HAVE--BUT BECAUSE THEY SEE IN THE REPUBLICAN PARTY A BETTER SHOT AT THE AMERICAN DREAM. WE ARE HERE TONIGHT BECAUSE WE BELIEVE IN AN IDEA-- THE AMERICAN IDEA--THAT HAS MADE US THE RICHEST, MOST FREE AND GENEROUS SOCIETY ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH. IN RECENT YEARS, THAT IDEA HAS BEEN THREATENED BY AN ADMINISTRATION THAT HAS ALLOWED OUR COUNTRY TO DECLINE IN EVERY WAY-ECONOMICALLY, MILITARILY, SOCIALLY AND SPIRITUALLY. FOR THE PAST 25 YEARS, THE REPUBLICAN PARTY HAS BEEN THE MINORITY PARTY IN GOVERNMENT. BUT TODAY WE HAVE THE MAJORITY PHILOSOPHY OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. IN 1980, WE WILL CONVERT THIS MAJORITY PHILOSOPHY INTO A GOVERNING MAJORITY-- IN THE WHITE HOUSE, IN THE CONGRESS, AND THROUGHOUT THE LAND. J
KEMP, TWO THE REASON IS THAT THE REPUBLICAN PARTY WILL NO LONGER MAKE A POLITICAL CAREER OUT OF CRITICIZING WHAT THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY STANDS FOR. THIS IS THE TIME TO SHOW THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WHAT WE ARE FOR. As GOVERNOR REAGAN HAS BEEN SAYING, THIS IS NOT JUST A CAMPAIGN TO DEFEAT JIMMY CARTER, OR TO REPLACE DEMOCRATS WITH REPUBLICANS--ALTHOUGH THESE THINGS MUST AND WILL HAPPEN. THIS IS A CRUSADE TO RECAPTURE THE AMERICAN DREAM FOR ALL OUR PEOPLE. To RESTORE A DOLLAR THAT'S AS GOOD AS GOLD. To REVIVE INCENTIVES IN OUR ECONOMY FOR BOTH LABOR AND CAPITAL. AND TO REBUILD A FOREIGN AND DEFENSE POLICY WORTHY OF RESPECT. THIS IS THE CENTRAL TASK OF A POLITICAL PARTY: TO OFFER THE PEOPLE SUPERIOR IDEAS OF GOVERNMENT. OUR PARTY WAS FOUNDED ON THE IRRESISTIBLE IDEA THAT THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE APPLIES TO EVERYONE. MR. LINCOLN INSPIRED OUR PARTY WITH THE CONVICTION THAT THE ULTIMATE SOURCE OF PROGRESS AND PROSPERITY IS THE EQUAL FREEDOM OF ALL AMERICANS TO FULFILL THE HOPE AND PROMISE OF THE FUTURE. THE AMERICAN DREAM WAS NEVER THAT EVERYONE WOULD BE LEVELED TO THE SAME RESULT. THE AMERICAN DREAM WAS THAT EACH INDIVIDUAL WOULD HAVE THE SAME OPPORTUNITY TO RISE AS HIGH OR AS FAR AS EFFORT AND INITIATIVE AND GOD-GIVEN TALENT COULD CARRY HIM, OR HER, IF YOU WERE BORN TO BE A MASTER CARPENTER, OR A MEZZO-SOPRANO --OR EVEN A PRO FOOTBALL PLAYER--HERE IN AMERICA YOU COULD MAKE IT.
KEMP, THREE AMERICA WAS FOUNDED ON THIS SENSE OF SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC BOUNDLESSNESS. FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HISTORY A GOVERNMENT WAS ESTABLISHED, NOT TO CONFER BENEFITS UPON EVERYONE; BUT TO RESTRAIN ITSELF, SO THAT EACH INDIVIDUAL, GUIDED BY OUR COMMON JUDAEO-CHRISTIAN VALUES, COULD PURSUE HIS OR HER OWN HAPPINESS. THIS IDEA OF GOVERNMENT WAS NOT ONLY REVOLUTIONARY--IT'S THE ONLY IDEA THAT HAS EVER REALLY WORKED. No GOVERNMENT HAS EVER BEEN ABLE TO DO AS MUCH FOR PEOPLE AS THEY COULD DO FOR THEMSELVES--AND FOR EACH OTHER--GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY. BUT SOMEWHERE WE GOT OFF THE TRACK, WE STRAYED FROM THIS IDEA, AND EVERY SINGLE AMERICAN KNOWS IT. FOR THE FIRST TIME IN OUR HISTORY, WE FEEL OUR STRENGTH EBBING AWAY, OUR SENSE OF NATIONAL PURPOSE WANING. AFTER A QUARTER-CENTURY UNDER THE DEMOCRATS, THE COUNTRY NO LONGER PROJECTS A NATIONAL VITALITY TO THE REST OF THE WORLD. AND THE SOVIET UNION BEHAVES AS IF THE UNITED STATES HAD ALREADY BEEN ECLIPSED AS THE WORLD'S MOST RESPECTED LEADER. EVEN PRESIDENT CARTER SENSES IT. ONE YEAR AGO TONIGHT, HE TOLD US IN A TELEVISED ADDRESS THAT THE COUNTRY IS SUFFERING FROM A MALAISE, FROM AN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL CRISIS OF CONFIDENCE. BUT SOMEHOW HE HAS PERSUADED HIMSELF THAT PEOPLE ARE TO BLAME. IN THAT SPEECH, MR. CARTER TOLD US, "Too MANY OF US NOW TEND TO WORSHIP SELF-INDULGENCE AND CONSUMPTION." HE TOLD US WE ARE DEMANDING TOO MUCH, EXPECTING TOO MUCH, AND ARE TOO UNWILLING TO GIVE. HIS SOLUTION IS TO IMPOSE LIMITS ON US,
KEMP, FOUR TO LOWER OUR HORIZONS. AGAIN AND AGAIN, IN WORD AND DEED, JIMMY CARTER HAS CLEARLY STATED HIS BELIEF THAT THE PEOPLE ARE THE PROBLEM, AND THAT AUSTERITY IS THE SOLUTION. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN. AUSTERITY IS NOT THE SOLUTION. AUSTERITY IS THE PROBLEM, AND THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE NOT THE PROBLEM. THEY ARE THE ANSWER. THIS MALTHUSIAN IDEA THAT "LESS IS MORE" IS NONSENSE. LESS IS LESS. You CAN'T HELP AMERICA'S POOR BY MAKING AMERICA POOR. BUT THAT'S WHAT THE POLICIES OF THIS ADMINISTRATION ARE DOING. MR. CARTER BELIEVES THAT UNEMPLOYMENT IS THE ANSWER TO INFLATION. IF THAT WERE THE CASE, THE CARTER ANTI-INFLATION PLAN OUGHT TO BE ENJOYING ITS FINEST HOUR. THE NOTION THAT LAYING OFF WORKERS WILL PROTECT THEIR WAGES FROM INFLATION DOES NOT MAKE SENSE TO THE FACTORY WORKERS IN MY DISTRICT. BY THAT DEFINITION, THEY'VE BEEN FIGHTING INFLATION FOR THE PAST TEN YEARS. As MARGARET BUSH WILSON OF THE NAACP HAS TOLD US, INFLATION IS NOT CAUSED BY TOO MANY PEOPLE WORKING. ONLY THE GOVERNMENT CAUSES INFLATION, BECAUSE ONLY THE GOVERNMENT CAN 'GET AWAY WITH SPENDING MORE THAN IT CAN TAX OR BORROW. THROUGHOUT HISTORY, THE SINGLE CAUSE OF PERSISTENT INFLATION HAS BEEN THE GOVERNMENT'S DEBASEMENT OF ITS CURRENCY. IT IS IMMORAL TO TELL WORKING MEN AND WOMEN TO HOLD THEIR WAGE INCREASES DOWN TO EIGHT PERCENT WHILE THE GOVERNMENT DEVALUES THEIR PAYCHECKS AT 12 PERCENT.
KEMP, FIVE No, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, RECESSION IS NOT THE CURE FOR INFLATION. AND INFLATION IS NOT THE CURE FOR UNEMPLOYMENT, How MANY TIMES MUST WE SAY IT? WHEN YOU TAX SOMETHING, YOU GET LESS OF IT, WHEN YOU SUBSIDIZE SOMETHING, YOU GET MORE OF IT. IN AMERICA TODAY, WE ARE TAXING WORK, SAVING, INVESTMENT, ENTERPRISE AND EXCELLENCE, AS NEVER BEFORE. AND WE ARE SUBSIDIZING NON WORK, CONSUMPTION, DEBT, LEISURE, AND MEDIOCRITY, IS IT ANY SURPRISE THAT WE ARE GETTING LESS OF THE ONE AND MORE OF THE OTHER? WE MUST REVERSE THIS PROCESS BY RESTORING OPPORTUNITY THROUGH ECONOMIC GROWTH, WE CAN HAVE FULL EMPLOYMENT WITHOUT INFLATION, A RISING STANDARD OF LIVING, AND A STRONG DEFENSE. THE AMERICAN PEOPLE KNOW WE CAN DO IT, BECAUSE WE HAVE DONE IT BEFORE, THIS IS THE CHOICE BEFORE AMERICANS IN 1980: GROWTH, EXPANSION, HOPE, AND OPPORTUNITY--FOR OUR NATION, OUR CITIES, OUR NEIGHBORHOODS AND OUR CHILDREN, OR, NEEDLESS SACRIFICE, CONTRACTION, SUFFERING AND AUSTERITY, WHICH WILL IT BE? AN ERA OF LIMITS? OR AN ERA OF EXPANSION? NOT LONG AGO, A REPORTER ASKED PRESIDENT CARTER'S OFFICIAL SPOKESMAN, JODY POWELL, WHAT A SECOND CARTER TERM WOULD BE LIKE. HE SAID: "ANOTHER TERM PROBABLY WOULDN'T BE MARKEDLY DIFFERENT FROM THE FIRST." -- CAN YOU IMAGINE ANYTHING MORE DEPRESSING? THE NEXT FOUR YEARS MUST BE MARKEDLY DIFFERENT--NOT ONLY FOR OUR OWN WELFARE a p p ESTINY, BUT FOR THE WORLD'S, OUR NATION'S DEFENSE IS THE ULTIMATE GUARANTOR OF WORLD PEACE.
KEMP, SIX AND WORLD PEACE SHOULD NOT BE HELD HOSTAGE BY ECONOMIC :ND MILITARY WEAKNESS, BUT THE WORLD IS ULTIMATELY RULED NOT BY MILITARY MIGHT; IT IS RULED BY IDEAS. FROM THE FOUNDING OF THIS NATION, OUR CHIEF EXPORT TO THE REST OF THE WORLD HAS BEEN IDEAS, IN RECENT DECADES WE HAVE BEEN EXPORTING A WRONG IDEA-- THAT GOVERNMENT IS THE ENGINE OF PROSPERITY, THOSE WHO TOOK OUR ADVICE, ESPECIALLY THE EMERGING NATIONS OF THE THIRD WORLD, HAVE NOT DUPLICATED OUR SUCCESS, THE REASON, OF COURSE, IS THAT OUR OWN PROGRESS WAS NOT BUILT ON THIS IDEA. OUR COUNTRY WAS BUILT ON THE INDIVIDUAL, THROUGH THE FAMILY AND THE COMMUNITY-- BUILT FROM THE PEOPLE UP, NOT FROM THE GOVERNMENT DOWN. IN THE 1980s, AS WE REDISCOVER THIS FORMULA FOR OUR SUCCESS, WE MUST REMEDY THE PAST AND EXPORT THE AMERICAN IDEA-- NOT IN A RANDOM SEARCH FOR ALLIES, BUT BECAUSE WE BELIEVE IN IT, THIS IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A POSITIVE FOREIGN POLICY AND ONE WHICH REACTS TO WHAT IS BECOMING A SERIES OF DISASTERS, No OTHER NATION IN THE WORLD FACES THIS OPPORTUNITY--OR THIS RESPONSIBILITY, Two YEARS AGO AT HARVARD, ALEXANDER SOLZHENITSYN SAID, "IF AMERICA DOES NOT LEAD THE FREE WORLD, THE FREE WORLD WILL NOT HAVE A LEADER." AND LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, IF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY DOES NOT LEAD THE UNITED STATES, THE UNITED STATES WILL NOT HAVE A LEADER.
.. KEMP, SEVEN FELLOW REPUBLICANS, FELLOW AMERICANS, WE WILL PROVIDE THIS LEADERSH,IP, HERE THIS WEEK, HERE IN DETROIT, HERE IN THIS HALL--AS A PARTY UNITED AT LAST--WITH RONALD REAGAN, WE WILL BEGIN THE AMERICAN RENAISSANCE,